Printing a file or document has long been part
of the desktop experience. However, transition
to a mobile device hasn’t always been so easy.
Plugging a device directly into a printer has never
been a feasible option. The obvious solution is via a
wireless connection, but this relies on the OS
providing the support. And, this is exactly what the
KitKat update brings to Android users.
The latest version brings with it wireless printing.
The obvious issue here is that the printer being used
in the process has to have wireless support. The
addition of wireless printing comes in two guises:
cloud printing and standard wireless printing. Cloud
printing enables those who do not have access to a
wireless printer a selection of alternative options. If a
Google Drive account is available, a document can be
saved there. Another option is to save the current fi le
as a PDF. The wireless printing option works in the
same way as standard once connected. Simply select
a printer and hit the Print button – job done.
1.To implement the printing process, the first
step is to make sure that you have KitKat installed.
Head to Settings and locate System, tap About
and this will give you a rundown of the current
version. If necessary, update the OS according to
the onscreen instructions.
2.Wireless printing means that a wireless
printer is needed and that the Wi-Fi on the device
to print from is switched on. To check that Wi-Fi is
switched on, head to Settings>Wi-Fi. Tap Wi-Fi to
check the connection. The device must be on the
same Wi-Fi network as the printer.
3.Head back to your device’s main Settings
screen and locate the Printing option. Tap Printing
to reveal the printing services currently available to
you. By default, there are two options: Cloud Print
and the HP Print Service Plugin. Both of these are
on by default.
4.The premise of cloud printing is that users
can print to any web-connected printer. Cloudready
printers are the ideal choice. Selecting Cloud
print will search for any available printers. If none
are available, the option to save to Google Drive
will still be available.
5.The alternative default printing service is
provided by HP. The HP Print Service Plugin is
pre-installed. Tap the link and your device will start
searching for nearby wireless printers. Any
available printer will appear here and in the print
list below.
6.Open the document you wish to print. We
are using a Word document created in Quickoffice.
Tap the menu icon and select Print from the menu.
When there are no printers available, the Save to
Google Drive option is default. Tap Print to save to
the current Google Drive account.
7.Where wireless printers are available it is
simply a matter of selecting the appropriate printer
from the list. Check the paper size, typically A4 as
default, and the Colour and Orientation options
before hitting Print. This will differ depending on
the printer being used.
8.The HP Plugin enables users to modify a
few settings. These can be found via
Settings>System>Printing. Select HP Plugin and
tap the menu button in the top-right corner and
select Settings. Now tap the 2-sided off button to
allow for two-sided printing.
